Motor vehicle rear wheel suspension mount



United States Patent MOTOR VEHICLE REAR WHEEL SUSPENSION MOUNT Clyde R.Paton, Birmingham, Mich.

Original application November 5, 1951, Serial No. 254,867. Divided andthis application August 31, 1953, Serial No. 377,508

1 Claim. (Cl. 267-30) This invention relates generally to automobilesand particularly to rear wheel suspension mountings therefor.

This application is a division of my copending application for MotorVehicle Rear Wheel Suspension, filed November 5, 1951, Serial No.254,867.

-In the past, many types of rear wheel spring suspension mechanisms havebeen proposed for automobiles in an effort to obtain the optimum innoiseless and vibrationless vehicle operation. In addition to vibrationsincited in the body by road irregularities, there has been the problemof suppressing audible vibrations incited by clutch chatter in thedifferential housing, by sudden vehicle acceleration, and bydeceleration or sudden braking, particularly in vehicles having thedrive through the rear springs. These vibrations, whether they are roadinduced or whether they originate in the vehicle, are conducted throughthe rear axle housing and suspension springs to the body. Road inducedvibrations and those otherwise incited in the chassis are usuallymagnified many fold by the body floor pan which acts as a drum, and theresultant noise is, of course, objectionable. In the type of vehicleconstruction in which the body is separated from a chassis frame byspaced rubber pads, noise suppression is not satisfactory because if thepads are made sufiiciently soft to absorb vibrations satisfactorily, thenecessary rigidity between body and frame is sacrificed. As is wellknown, the present trend in motor vehicle manufacture is to integralframe and body structures in the interests of rigid construction, lightweight and low cost but, that such construction facilitates transmissionof vibrations by conducting them directly to the floor pan from thesuspension springs, thus adding to the problem of noise suppression ofvibrations incited in the body structure via wheel suspension mechamsm.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide formotor vehicles an improved rear wheel suspension mounting of a characterand arrangement to give desired ride characteristics to motor vehiclestogether with desired suppression of vibration induced body noise.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved wheelsuspension mounting which substantially decreases transmission ofvibrations from a spring suspended rear axle to the frame or to the bodyof a vehicle.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved mounting andnoise suppressor mounting device for vehicle semi-elliptical springs.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the followingdetail description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a vertical cross sectional view of the spring suspension-noisesuppressor, taken through a spring mounting member;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of one of the spring mounting members;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 illustratmg the function of themounting;

Fig. 4 is an isometric view of the spring mou g; and

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a modification thereof.

Referring to the drawing by characters of reference my mountingdesignated generally by the numeral 26 comprises, in general, a mountingplate or holder 94, a resilient mounting member or rubber pad 96, and amovable bearing member 98. The holder 94 retains the rubber pad 96 andthe rubber pad carries the bearing member 98 which in turn carries thelateral spring arm 78.

In the interests of low manufacturing costs, I make the mounting holder94 of sheet metal channel stock having a web or base 100 and top andbottom retainer flanges 102. In position on the side frame members 32,the channel holder 94 extends longitudinally thereof or lengthwise ofthe vehicle. At the ends of the channel 94, the web 100 thereof may beextended to provide mounting tabs 104 for bolts 106 and thechannel-shaped holders may be secured back to back to the channel-shapedside frame members 32. In the present construction, the bolts 106 extendthrough spacers 108 in the side frame members and through the wheelhouse panel 52 to receive nuts 110 so that the latter will be accessiblefrom the wheel house for assembly and disassembly purposes.

The rubber pad 96 fits complementary into the channel holder 94 and maybe bonded or be otherwise suitably secured to the inner surfacesthereof. In the outer face of the rubber pad 96, I provide a recess 112to receive the bearing member 98 which is largely embedded in therubber. The recess 112 is preferably rectangular in shape and thebearing member 98 may be of channel stock having top and bottom flanges114 and a web 116 securely bonded or otherwise suitably secured to thewalls of the recess. Above and below the bearing member 98, I provideparallel recesses 118 in the rubber pad to give greater flexibilitythereto for desired vertical movement of the bearing. These grooves 118also provide upper bumpers 120 and lower bumpers 122 as limit stops toprevent metal to metal contact when severe road obstructions areencountered.

A spring extension or torsion arm 124 extends longitudinally of framemember 32 having one end pivoted thereto and the arm 124 has a portionof the other end thereof fitting complementally with the channel-shapedbearing member 98 of mounting 26. The bearing member 98 and thecomplementary end portion of arm 124 may be secured together by a bolt128 or other suitable means. Thus, movement of the arm 124 is dependentupon the flexibility of the rubber. The spring suspension cross member76 may be connected through the arm 124 to the resilient mountingbearing 98 by securing the ends of the cross member 76 respectively tothe arms 124 by rivets 130 or by any other suitable securing means.

When a rear wheel of the vehicle encounters a road irregularity, thefront end of the corresponding spring will move arcuately on itsmounting pad displacing the rubber to absorb the shock and vibrationsincluding audible vibrations. When the wheel or wheels are encounteringordinary rough roads or slight road irregularities, the cushioningaction is done substantially entirely by the rubber pads. This arcuateaction of the front ends of the springs on the rubber pads isresiliently opposed by the torsion arms 124 with opposing forcecorresponding to the severity of the wheel action. When unusually severeroad obstacles are met by the vehicle rear wheels, action of the springfront ends is limited by the rubber stops 120, 122 in the mounting pads96. Whether traversing rough or smooth roads, vibrations originating inthe vehicle and incited in the rear axle and transmitted by the springsare suppressed by the rubber pads 96 which materially decreasetransmission of the vibrations and resultant noise to the body. Asillustrated in Fig. 3, when springs are flexed, the spring end bearingmembers 98 move down through arcuate paths and displace rubber of pads'96 in the absorption of shocks and audible vibrations.

The modification of Fig. 5 is similar to the mount of Figs. 1 to 4inclusive and therefore like parts are designated by like characters ofreference. The rubber mounting pad'96 between channels 98 and 100 is ofchannel shape and, like the previously described pad of Fig; 1, has itsopposite side surfaces united, as by a bonding process respectively tothe webs of themetal channels 93 and 100. The'legs or flanges of therubber pad 96 are also preferably bonded to the flanges .of channel 98,but are spaced from the flanges 142 of outer channel 100 to provide thenecessary clearance spaces 131 for movement of the inner channel whichis resisted only by the soft rubber mounting pad. In order to insurethat the clearance spaces 131 do not become clogged with dirt, stonesand other foreign matter which might render the mountings inefiective, Iform the rubber mounting flanges with outturned portions or lips 132which overlie and close the entrances to the spaces 131 of the side faceof the pad.

I claim:

A resilient mounting for use with a motor vehicle spring suspensioncomprising, a rigid channel for attachment to one part of the vehicleand having upper and lower hori'zontal'flanges, a resilient channel ofrubberlike material fitting compl'ementally into and held by said rigidchannel, said resilient channel having top and bottom flanges, a secondrigid channel for attachment to another part of the vehicle fittingcomplementally with and held to said resilient channel having top andbottom flanges respectively spaced from the first channel flanges by theresilient channel flanges, and V-shaped recesses in the end edges ofsaid resilient-channel flanges tapering inwardly to an apex at a depthsubstantially equal to the depth of the second rigid channel flanges,the volume of the V-shaped recess being greater than the mass of therubber-like material of the inner leg of the V-shaped recess.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,830,117 Lee Nov. 3, 1931 2,273,869 Julien Feb. 24, 1942 FOREIGNPATENTS 210,639 Switzerland Oct. 1, 1940 526,806 Great Britain Sept. 26,1940 545,841 Great Britain June 16, 1942

